The invention relates to a manual razor comprising a shaving head equipped with a blade and a handle on which the shaving head is fixed, with pivoting means being provided between the head and the handle so as to allow the head to move from an in-use position perpendicular to the handle to a storage position parallel to the handle, wherein the pivoting means are made of a rack placed on a sliding button located on the handle and a toothed wheel integral with the head, the toothed wheel and the rack being proportioned and placed so as to intermesh.
These conventional razors have a disadvantage in that the shaving head is in a position perpendicular to the handle. This makes them fairly sizable, especially for travel. In addition to the problem of the space taken by the razor, there is also the need to take along a shaving gel or cream, which is generally in the form of a pressurized bottle.
From documents U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,669 A, U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,062 A and U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,635, travel razors are known whose head can pivot from an in-use position to a storage position parallel to the handle. The device as a whole is proportioned so that in the storage position, the blade can be enclosed inside a cap that bears on the razor handle. The blade must be pivoted manually, which is not without risk.
From document U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,488 A, a travel razor with a pivoting blade is known. Pivoting means are provided so that the blade can be put away without having to touch it. These means are made up of a shaft, firstly, with the blade support attached to the end thereof using a pivot pin. A rod, parallel to the shaft, is equipped with a projection that goes into a slot on the blade support near the pivot pin. The shaft and the rod can be moved simultaneously to make the blade come out of the razor handle. When the blade support has come out, the shaft continues to move while the rod is kept still. This results in a relative movement of the projection and the pivot pin, which causes the blade support to pivot. In order to make the shaft and the rod move simultaneously, and then make the shaft move alone, the document proposes a dual set of guides, one rectilinear and the other spiral, placed on two different concentric parts. Projections on the shaft and the rod engage with this dual set of guides. This system entails a great number of parts.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,103 A proposes a razor whose blade, which is placed on a support that is tilted relative to the handle, can be pivoted to put it in an angular position optimal for shaving. For this purpose, the invention provides a bevel gear system enabling the transmission of a rotational movement given by turning a knob located at the bottom of the handle on the axis on which the blade support is placed. For this purpose, the knob is fixed to the first end of a shaft whose second end is equipped with the first element of a bevel gear. The blade support is mounted in turn on the first end of a second shaft whose other end carries the second bevel gear element. In order to lock the blade into the desired position, a screw ring is provided. This device, which entails a great number of parts, enables the blade to be tilted 45° from the horizontal.
Given their complexity, the razors in documents U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,488 A and U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,103 A are not suitable for disposable razors.